The public emergency alert siren system at the Catawba Nuclear Station will be upgraded over the next four months, Duke Energy said recently.
All 89 public alert notification sirens around the plant will be upgraded. After each upgrade is completed, there will be a low-volume test that sounds for up to 30 seconds. The sirens will also rotate during the test, but not at the same speed as they would during a real emergency.
Duke Energy performs siren tests after each upgrade to ensure that all hardware and equipment are working effectively.
Residents and others near the plant are urged to follow TV or radio news reports, or contact Duke Energy, if they are unsure whether an alarm they are hearing is a test or an actual emergency.
A team of Duke Energy engineers will complete the upgrades. Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company that provides electricity to customers in parts of North and South Carolina, reaching approximately 2.4 million customers.
